Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Dealing with Loss: A Tribute to Miriam Watto

Loss: it’s something we all go through. Sometimes the pain of losing someone or something hurts so much that we feel like we cannot bear to go on. This past week my church lost a very important member of our congregation: Miriam Watto.
Miriam was so much more to our congregation than just a member. She was an example, not just for the older people, but also for the younger people as well. You could not get through a Sunday without Miriam asking how someone was or checking up on someone in your family. But there was so much more to Miriam than that.
Miriam was a prayer warrior. You knew that if she said that she would pray for you she would actually do it. She would not just do it in the mornings, she would do it whenever. Honestly I have met very few people who I know prayed like Miriam. She would take our prayer journal home and pray over all the requests. That was just one way that she showed that she cared.
Miriam was also a great example to everyone in the church. She was an amazing wife to Jim. She cared for him, and he cared for her. Miriam was faithful in raising money for missions and every Christmas and Birthday you could expect a card from her. She used to care for the children, including me, when they were younger in the nursery. That’s where we learned to call her Grandma Watto; though, I guess that made sense because we are all a part of God’s family. Anyhow, she did not stop caring when we grew up. She supported the youth in whatever they were doing whether it be girl scouts, soccer, school, or hunting (it’s a big deal at our church). Miriam also cared for the older people in the church. She did whatever she could for whoever she could.
Miriam totally embodied the verses describing a virtuous woman (Proverbs  31:10-31). She will be sorely missed in our church.
Maybe you are going through a loss right now as well, whether it is a person, job, or something else. While it may be difficult, I encourage you to turn to God. Ask Him to help you through this hard time. He will give you the strength. Also try to find someone to talk about how you are feeling with. God created us to be in community and to love one another. Finally, try to focus on the positive. It may be difficult, but pain is temporary. Eventually we will be in heaven with our Everlasting Father and we will never have to deal with loss again. Isn’t that amazing?
Thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Miriam Watto and anyone who is going through a time of loss.
Miriam Watto/Mim/Grandma Watto (1928-2015)

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